Breakaway coupling



June 27, 1950 c. HOLLERITH BREAKAWAY COUPLING 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Sept. 24, 1947 M W M EHFJRLEE HELLER/TH June 27, 1950 c. HOLLERITH BREAKAWAY COUPLING 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Sept. 24, 1947 CHHRLEE HELLER/TH Patented June 27, 1950 Charles wHolleritlm 1 J 'ackson, .Mich; lassi'gnoril to Aeroquip "Corporation, Jackson;;:Mich-.-, acorpor-ation of M iohiga Application sptcrnber 24, 1347; Serial N 775,305

This invention relatessto 'break-away couplings oi the type employed to couple together rthe opposed'hollow bodypartspfca' fluid-: coupling, ,or a plurality thereof; wwh-ilecprovidinggr however; for the automatic ."separation of the coupling parts, and hence the i fluid pipe-lines associated there'- with, upon one of-" the epipe linesabeingw-subj ected to a predetermined on excessive' exter'nal :force orstrain applied: in"thes?directiomof the longitudinal axis of the. fluid pcoupling:a'w l ierebya safety factor 'is' *provided' :whichr: avoids; damage to 'the- 'couplingxmeansrzandi p'articularlyr-to the hose lines associated "therewith. 'Suchv-az safety factor is required, for-instance;=ona=wtractor-and trailer employing" hose lines iconnectedvbetween v the tractor 'and trailer I" (Whichmay b'ei-ra farm implement) iby couplingrmeanscapableeof'loreakiing-apart automaticallyz to release r the coupled halves of 'the fiuid: coupling' meanssaupon ani excessivestrain. orforceib'eing set=up i between: the tractor and trailer; dueg-for-instance to the latter meeting an unsurmountable? obstruction in: the travel of the'tractoriover theigroundr' Inparticular th'e'invention is applic'a'bleto fluid couplings of the self-"sealing. typevasdisclosed in U. 'S'. Patents/Nos; 2,208,286and:v2,391;022, and which employ self-fisea'ling (VEIIVESjfGITHMbO- mati'cally closing-z'the ends: of the coupling :halves against loss of fiui'd' wheni the same 1 are-uncoupled; -1

The invention has for its -object'tmprovideran automaticbreak away couplingFof ibh'e alcoves-type in which the brealoaw-ai condition-is obtainable without 'chan'gingthe effective lengthcof the fluid passageway opened up between the-coupled fluid coupling parts: and with" the-maintainingr of a constant .fiuid volumeiwithinsith'e latter-andtheir associated fluid pipelines-or hoses-.- i c The invention also has for its object? to :provide a breakaway couplingnofi theeabove. type with a lever and cam action::toiofieotthe desired break-away conditionf'an'd with:1wl'iiohathe con"- pled conditioncanfbe readilyandipositively made whenever required; 1 J 7- a The invention 'also hasfifon its object toi'provicle a break-awaycouplingmf Tithe above type-which is of robust construction and: isflablexto 'stanrdaup to the heavy wear imposed'th'ere'omi as when employed on farm tractorsand trai'lers; 1

These and otherobjects of-the 'mlention wiil appear apparent from"a: consideration 11015 .the following description with referenceeto'theraccompanying drawings in'whichr' w V.

Figure I is axplanflviewwithrthe topehalfiiin elevation and :the bottom; :halfa inrzlongitudinal sectionyot-oma embodiment of the invention with the parts shown 'in'th'e -coupled condition;

Figure II is -aside elevation of Figure'I; and

Figure III is a similar view to-Fignre -II': but showing the parts in theuncoupledcondition, and ready for a fresh coupling connection In carrying the invention: into-1 eiiect-in-- one convenient manner as illustrated in the drawings an= automatic break-"away coupling-is: provided comprising an elongated'casi-nghavinge a rec:- tangular hollow part I flattened and close'd a'long its opposite longitudinal edges by the'rrivets -z and wopen' at its opposite ends for the passage therethrough. of the- '-rigid fluid conductor: tubes 3;:of=:wh-ich :a pair are shown in parallel-relationship; extending lengthwiserof thehollow casing-part and slida-ble witlmrespectthere-to to a limitedwextent as determined by theepipe nipple unions :4- at one-end and the fluid- "coupling-halves Eat-theoppositeend. 1 I r r Y Thee-unions 4 are of elbow-form andserve for the-attachment of the flexible-hoses at" 6 bythe customary connecting? means and these unions are -:slidable within anopen space 1 formed in 'theend-lextension 8l-ofthe -hollowcasing and are united -.within .such space. by. a transverse yoke QWsecu-red upon-the corresponding ends of. the tubesAi-r h I I A coilspringliliconnects the-yoke 9' at H with the..-opposite-- end of the casing extension 43,"v the springsabeing shown anchored to the a'latteriatl2.

Thedluid-coupling halves 5 are in theeform of 'tubular sockets and are united by aatransverseyokel3,- the opposite ends of which; are formed to provide trunnions I 4 for the pivotal mounting: thereon of the; side plates 1 5 of: a lever assembly-l6--which is-capable' of being swung about thevtrun-nions M towards :or away from one face-of :the -z-said -casing ands is normally vspr-ing -biassed away; from each face :by a spring- I I -secured at :l 8 itOitheleVeran-d hearing; at its *free end.i'l-9-- upon :thecasi-ng. The lever assembly-is formedwby'the .-triangulated plate 2e whichis disposed tovoverlie-thetone face- 2 i of the casingand is shown-ashavingwtdependingside-fianges. 22

at one rendiof which, corresponding to the pivoted end-1ofthe-. lever, the; sidewplates l 5 are fixed-by the rivets 23 so that the-lever plates*28-and-i moveas'oneaboutthetrunnions14; Y

These side plates i5,"on theirverticaledges adjacent the. free end of the free endaof thevlever assemblyare each formed with: aacarni' edge -surface 24r-1eading into a-recess 25'wh'i0h is=aligned withi{thez corresponding end of the! flattenedszsi-de i-of the vcasing I when thedeveriassembly iis swung 1 down into the position shown in Figure II, whereby in this position the corresponding flattened end portion of the casing is free to enter into engagement with its respective recess 25, under the tudinal extent of the recesses 25.

Mounted also upon the trunnions I4 and adjacent to the inner surface of each said side plate I5 of the lever assembly there is a lever member 26 so that there are a pair of these lever members a disposed in parallel relationship and united together for pivotal movement about the trunnions M as a unit by the transversely extending connecting rod or bar 21.

Each lever member 26,

however, is mounted for rotational movement the corresponding trunnion l4 and connected also to the corresponding side plate [5 by the screwed stud 26b which is screwed through this plate and into the eccentric disc.

Each said lever 26 is formed in its upper edge portion 28 with a depression 29 shaped to receive 1 the corresponding trunnion 38 of a transverse about an eccentric disc 26a itself mounted upon yoke 3| which carries in parallel relationship thereon, the tubular body parts 32 forming the other halves of the fluid coupling, whereby two 3 opposed pairs of fluid couplings are provided and the break-away coupling is, therefore, common to the two pairs of fluid pipe or hose lines thereby constituted.

The lever members 26 are capable of an eccenand the arrangement is such that the united levers 25 can be adjusted into a position where,

1 as shown in Figure III, their depressions 29' can function to form a cradle to receive the trunnions 3G, and, thereby support the coupling 1 halves 32 for axial sliding movement with respect to the other coupling halves 5 during the time i that the two coupling halves are being coupled together and the pressure of their valve operating verage, or rather with the mechanical advantage,

, afforded by the engagement of the upstanding fingers 33 of the levers 26 and the attendant eccentric motion.

The side plates l5 on their upper edges are conveniently formed with inwardly turned lips 34 which engage with the upper edges of their respective levers 26 and serve when the lever assembly is moved into its raised position, by the action of the spring 11, to exert pressure upon these lever members 26 in order to swingthem downwardly about their trunnions I 4 and relatively to the side plates I5 of the lever assembly. whereby in this manner the cradle provided by the levers 26 is removed from operative engagement with the coupling halves 32 and the latter With the parts in the position shown in the drawings and with the casing l fixed to a supporting structure, such as a tractor, by the engagement of a key pin (not shown) in the'eye'35 tric swinging movement independently of the swinging movement of the lever assembly and 1 relatively to the side plates l5 of this assembly of the casing extension 8, upon an external force being applied to the coupling parts 32 to pull the latter to the left away from casing I relative motion will occur at the recesses 25 against the action of the spring H] but with the coupling halves still coupled together and movable as one in the direction of the pulling force. If, however, the latter reaches such a value as causes the recesses 25 to be removed completely from the ends of the flattened sides of the casing l the lever I6 will be immediately released to spring upwards by the pressure of its spring I! and will thus provide an automatic breakaway condition in which the fluid coupling halves 5 and 32 are freed for axial separation; sincethe mechanical coupling is then no longer'efiective and the fluid coupling halves are free to move apart from each other.

Having thus described one practical form of the invention, the actual details of construction of which can be modified to suit particular requirements or practical considerations, what I claim is:

1. In a fluid coupling having the ability to permit the'coupling connection to be automatically broken upon the occurrence of a predetermined external pulling strain exerted upon the coupled parts in the direction of the longituddinal axis thereof, a main casing part, a, fluid conductor slidably mounted upon said casing part, the latter being adapted for attachment to a relatively fixed supporting structure for the coupling, resilient means normally urging said fluid conductor into a retracted position with respect to said casing part, a catch lever pivotally carried by said conductor and engageable with said casing to hold the two together while permitting the conductor and casing to move apart automatically against the action of said resilient means when subjected to the said predetermined external pulling strain, spring means on the lever and engageable with said casing to swing the lever outwardly away from the casing when the lever is released, and a catch plate carried by said lever and engageable with the casing to hold the lever and casing locked together with said spring on the lever in a state Of tension, said catch plate being recessed for engagement 'withthecasing when the recess is brought opposite the casing upon inward swinging movement of said lever, whereupon the casing and catch plate move towards one another to an extent limited by the recess and under the influence of said first mentioned resilient means, the said catch plate being capable of being subjected to the influence of said external pulling strain to pull the recessed part of the plate away from the casing whereby to free the lever from the casing and permit the automatic uncoupling action to take place.

2. In a fluid coupling as claimed in claim 1, carrier means on said catch plate, said carrier means being adapted to support a complementary fluid conductor for movement into and out of coupling relation with said first mentioned fluid conductor, and means mounting said carrier means for movement with said catch plate in such manner as constrains said complementary fluid conductor to be urged rectilinearly towards said first fluid conductor in the casing engaging movement of said catch plate.

3. In a fluid coupling as claimed in claim 1, carrier means pivotally and eccentrically mounted on said catch plate, said carrier means being adapted to support a complementary fluid conductor formovement into and out of coupling relation with said first mentioned fluid conductor. ductor to be urged rectilinearly towards said first and said eccentric mounting of the said carrier fluid conductor in the casing engaging movement means being such as constrains said complemenor said catch plate.

tary fluid conductor to be urged rectilinearly CHARLES HOLLERITH. towards said first fluid conductor in the casing 5 engaging movement of said catch plate. REFERENCES CITED In fluld coupling as claimed in claim The following references are of record in the carrier means pivotally and eccentrically mounted file f this patent; on said catch plate, said carrier means having an open hook recess in which a complementary 10 UNITED STATES PATENTS fluid conductor is adapted to be received and sup- Number Name Date ported upon the carrier means for movement into 44 ,621 Harris Dec. 16, 1890 and out of coupling relation with respect to said 813,637 Frenzel Feb. 27, 1906 first mentioned fluid conductor and said eccen- 2,425,5 0 Wiggins Aug. 12, 1947 tric mounting of the said carrier means being 1 2,441,363 Krueger May 11, 1948 such as constrains said complementary fluid con- 

